‘Absinthe’ brings sexy, raunchy fun to L.A. Live

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A duo of skaters perform during the Las Vegas production of Absinthe, which comes to L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles in the Spiegelworld Tent for a limited run starting March 22. Individual acts and artists are subject to change at each performance. (Photo courtesy of Absinthe)

The dance/bubble act performed during the Las Vegas production of Absinthe, which comes to L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles in the Spiegelworld Tent for a limited run starting March 22. Individual acts and artists are subject to change at each performance. (Photo courtesy of Absinthe)

The hit Las Vegas show “Absinthe,” which will celebrate six successful years at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in April, will bring a second separate production to the L.A. Live Event Deck in downtown Los Angeles for a limited five-week run starting Wednesday, March 22, and running through April 23.

The non-stop, adult-themed variety show has garnered critical acclaim on the Vegas strip and is hosted by the Gazillionaire, the self-proclaimed wealthiest man in Las Vegas. He will be bringing a wide array of acts to L.A. that will display a smorgasbord of spectacular talent – from aerial acrobats and contortionists to horizontal bar stunts and impressive balancing acts – on a central circular stage that’s just nine feet in diameter.

“Absinthe” is a sexy, raunchy and above all an entertaining 90-minute show that incorporates elements of vaudeville, cabaret, burlesque, circus and comedy all inside the intimate setting of a uniquely crafted tent, decked out with a variety of wares, mixed-matched chairs and speakeasy-style bars. It was all created by Australian producer and Spiegelworld founder Ross Mollison, who has also produced shows such as “Puppetry of the Penis,” “Slava’s Snow Show,” “Desir” and “La Vie.”

“I think if you’ve enjoyed all of the incredible productions by Cirque du Soleil through the years, if you look back on the old world of variety with a longingness and if you love great comedy that’s got a real edge then ‘Absinthe’ is it,” Mollison said for the residents of Southern California, curious as to what exactly this multifaceted show is about.

“We’ve designed it so that the picture on the stage changes every three minutes and you’re never bored and you’re always entertained,” he said. “The show is also best enjoyed with a drink in hand and we encourage that. We really have no rules within the confines of a polite society of not annoying everyone around you. It’s designed by me and our creative team for people to come and have fun and to get out and have a great time, so if you miss out, you’ll be very, very disappointed.”

Last year, Mollison said that he and the crew celebrated their fifth anniversary in Vegas with a fantastic party as they hit a milestone of 255,000 tickets sold to “Absinthe” within that year alone.

“For this tiny little show in Las Vegas, that’s like 5,000 tickets a week,” he said. “It’s an awesome achievement and we’re just grateful to the people in Las Vegas and the people around the world who have come out to see the show.”

A bulk of those “Absinthe” attendees, Mollison said, are actually from the Los Angeles area, which is why it made sense to partner with L.A. sporting and music promoter AEG to bring the show to the downtown area. However, those who have caught the show in Vegas will be treated to a series of fresh acts that Mollison and his crew scoured the globe for the past six months to include.

“I grew up going to the circus and I was in love with it and wanted to be in the circus, but I also wanted to be relevant,” he said of constantly updating the show. “I remember coming to see Cirque du Soleil 30 years ago and going ‘Oh my God.’ It changed my life. These guys were doing something that was so progressive in terms of developing the art form. So, you’re constantly learning from other people and putting it through your own perspective. I don’t want to produce shows like Cirque du Soleil, I want to produce something that can sit alongside them. I like being the off-Broadway to their Broadway. They’re spending $200 million on a show and I’m spending $50. They’re using enormous production techniques and we’re using comedy and silliness, as my 5-year-old son would say.”

“Absinthe” began as a seasonal summer show on Pier 17 just below the Brooklyn Bridge in New York in 2006. It became a year round performance in Las Vegas in 2011 and has also traveled to South Beach in Miami and embarked on a full-blown tour in Mollison’s native Australia in 2015.

“The show has become a real Vegas brand and the thing is to make it a brand in Los Angles as well,” he said. “My ideal would be to have it do well and in a couple of years, bring it back again. We’ve been looking at coming to L.A. for a long time and the whole downtown development is really exciting and you can feel the momentum there. It’s a sophisticated market with a lot of great things happening and people that have a lot going on.”

Kelli Skye Fadroski lives for entertainment. She’s worked at The Orange County Register since 2006 and has covered all things music, stand-up comedy, horror and more. When she’s not out reviewing a concert or interviewing some random famous person, she’s catching up on episodes of 'The Walking Dead,' somewhere sampling craft beer, enjoying Taco Tuesday or yelling at the contestants through the TV on 'Celebrity Name Game' for not knowing basic pop culture trivia. She’s also a diehard Detroit Lions fan.